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A farm in Uganda. There has recently been much debate about responsible investment in the agricultural sector (Photo: US Aid, Creative Common, via Flickr)
Responsible investment provisions in international investment treaties: where next?
… investments, most investment treaties say little or nothing about the nature and quality of those investments, or standards of … instruments set standards relevant to responsible investment – from human rights treaties and labour conventions to international soft-law … impact assessment requirements applicable under the law of the home state or the host state, whichever is more rigorous, and maintain …
Insight, 16 October 2017
A man in Uganda stands by a digger sitting next to a dirt road.
US Supreme Court dims a light in corporate accountability
… have brought their claims to national courts, to regional and global human rights bodies, and to grievance mechanisms that companies, lenders … Transnational court litigation – that is, suing a company in its home country, or in a third country for the activities of its … in Africa's land rush: what role for legal empowerment Find out more about our Legal tools for citizen empowerment project …
Insight, 01 May 2013
Relocated street vendors operate in the car park below the alun-alun of the Masjid Raya Mosque in Bandung, but this basement area does not attract many customers and vendors have to breathe in car and motorcycle fumes due to the poor air circulation (Photo: Kemal Jufri/Panos Pictures)
Building trust through dialogue with street-food vendors
… since 2000. By 2010, Bandung's wider metropolitan area was home to 7 million people . Despite steady economic growth across … and dignity (in Javanese, Nguwongke: 'to make other people feel human') he built the trust between institutions and informal vendors … Cravero ([email protected]) is a researcher in IIED's Human Settlements Group . …
Insight, 05 November 2015
Closing sacks of sorted plastic for recycling at the Banvari Compound at Dharavi.Credit Meena Kadri. Creative Commons. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.0/deed.en_GB
Work and shelter – two struggles, one reality
… people – one in seven of the world’s population – live in informal settlements in the towns and cities of the global South, where they lack … Visibility is key : When the urban poor are invisible (whether at home or at work), they will not be aware of the many others facing … they are stronger. Diana Mitlin is a Principal Researcher in IIED's Human Settlements Group ([email protected]). …
Insight, 09 December 2013
Street food: the debate on food security must adapt to consider how consumption and urbanisation are transforming rural spaces and economies, food systems and food security (Photo: Cecilia Tacoli/IIED)
If food security is the answer, is it time to change the question?
… revolts in more than 43 countries (PDF) . Around that time, the human population became more urban than rural for the first time ever. … where a third of urban citizens today live in low-income and informal settlements (PDF) . It is therefore critical that policymakers recognise … poor food quality has resulted in 42 per cent of households being home to both obese adults and chronically malnourished children. This, …
Insight, 23 February 2015
There is no government-provided water connection in the Shivaji Nagar slum area of Raipur. Under UN definitions, a household has "improved provision" for water even if it only has access to a public tap or standpipe. (Photo: indiawaterportal.org, Creative Commons via Flickr)
Setting the bar too low: is there really progress on UN development goals?
… to haul 200 litres of water every day from a tap 100 metres from your home. That’s 200 kilos to fetch and carry, often with a long queue and … of the MDGs. Dr David Satterthwaite is the senior fellow in the Human Settlements Group at the International Institute for Environment and …
Insight, 03 December 2013
Jockin Arputham, once an itinerant carpenter who slept outside, gives HRH Prince Charles an insight into urban development issues and a tour of Dharavi (Photo: SPARC)
From slum-dwelling carpenter to US$1.25 million prize winner
… an itinerant carpenter who slept outside, and Janata colony was his home. Only when Janata was threatened with eviction, even though its … the government of Indira Gandhi declared a state of emergency and human rights were suspended. He travelled to various countries visiting … or upgrading houses and toilets, mapping and enumerating their settlements – and encouraging local governments to work with them. At …
Insight, 08 April 2014
About 1.5 million Syrians are currently in Lebanon. The influx has added complexity to an already fragile system of water provision (Photo: Loan Diep)
Water in MENA: ripple effects in times of conflict
… the primary water providers in some cities.  Too little is understood about their provision mechanisms. They have helped entire populations to … Diep ( [email protected] ) is a consultant working with IIED's Human Settlements research group . She was previously project officer and …
Insight, 12 December 2017
Syria refugees in Lebanon learn how to make fishing nets, a skill which will help them find work along the northern coast (Photo: DFID, Creative Commons, via Flickr)
Why urbanisation matters in responding to humanitarian crises
… refugee camps – the camp at Zaatari in northern Jordan that is home to more than 80,000 people is estimated to cost the international …   David Dodman ([email protected]) is acting head of IIED's Human Settlements Group and team leader for cities and climate change.  Note: …
Insight, 15 September 2015
Keeping the forests we've got
… The government's help came late. It intends to establish forest settlements, but lacks money. "We're staying where we are, " said Hugo … developing countries, instead of making more expensive reductions at home. They gain carbon credits: the developing countries can earn money … for about 18 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions from human activities. Keeping the forests intact is therefore vital to …
Insight, 30 April 2009